Aurora, the Goddess of Dawn Bernard Dunstan RA, PPRWA, NEAC

A rare and evocative allegorical work by Bernard Dunstan, depicting the goddess Aurora in a moment of divine procession. This luminous composition features a nude female figure astride a pale horse, led by another nude attendant, with two clothed figures trailing behind—symbolising the transition from night to day. The scene is suffused with soft, atmospheric light and subtle tonal harmony, hallmarks of Dunstan’s painterly sensitivity.

Though best known for domestic interiors and musical studies, Dunstan occasionally explored mythological themes. This piece stands apart for its classical ambition and allegorical clarity, echoing Renaissance and Baroque depictions of Aurora’s chariot ride across the sky. The juxtaposition of nude and clothed figures evokes the shedding of darkness and the unveiling of light—an elegant metaphor for dawn’s arrival.

Dunstan exhibited widely with the Royal Academy and the New English Art Club, and his works are held in major British collections. This painting, measuring 33 × 25 cm, is a rare example of his mythic imagination and would be a striking addition to any collection of British modernism or allegorical art.